Naughty Can Be Nice
by RobzBeanie
Summary: Bella Swan wants nothing more than to protect her job, her reputation and her heart from Edward Cullen. But damn that young intern is so hard to resist. ** OLDERWARD/OLDERELLA CONTEST - Second Place Best Overall Story, Best Drama and Best Edward **


**Fictionpad Olderward & Olderella Contest**

**Title: **Naughty Can Be Nice

**Penname:** RobzBeanie

**Pairing:** Bella and Edward

**Rating:** M

**Word Count:** 11,254

**Beta/Pre-reader:** moosals

**Disclaimer:** The author does not own any publicly recognizable entities herein. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Summary:** Bella Swan wants nothing more than to protect her job, her reputation and her heart from Edward Cullen. But damn that young intern is so hard to resist.

* * *

Thanks to Chantie for running the Olderward/Olderella Contest on FictionPad! I won Second place for Best Story Overall, Best Drama and Best Edward.

* * *

"Can I help you, Ma'am?" the hostess asks as I step inside the best Mexican restaurant in Seattle, exhausted from a long day at the office.

"I'm meeting a couple of friends here," I reply, looking up to see Alice, my best friend since middle school, waving her arms frantically. "I see them, thanks." I smile at her before I turn and walk across the restaurant.

"Bella," Alice squeals, standing up to hug me.

"Chill, Alice, I just saw you on Halloween, what, two weeks ago?"

Turning away from Alice, I step over to our friend Rosalie, hugging her tightly. "It's good to see you, Rose. I'm so sorry about your grandma."

Rosalie is back in town for her grandmother's funeral. Unlike Alice and me, who returned to our home state of Washington after graduating from USC, the beautiful blonde decided to stay in California to try her luck as a model and actress. She has had some success as a catalog model and now has a small part in a soap opera.

"It's so good to see you guys, too, even under these circumstances," Rose replies with a small smile.

After we sit down at our table and order a round of margaritas, I notice that Alice is still particularly animated, even before she's had any alcohol. "Ok, Allie, what's up?" Rose finally asks.

"I think I'm in love," Alice squeals.

I shake my head, rolling my eyes. Alice thinks she's in love once every three months.

"Bella, I'm serious this time! Do not roll your eyes at me. Jasper is ah-ma-zing! I met him at work when he needed to find a suit for a friend's wedding." The fashion-conscious Alice is a personal shopper at Nordstrom.

"What's so amazing about him?" Rose asks with amusement.

"He's like a real live cowboy, originally from Texas. Curly blond hair and a Southern drawl that's to die for," Alice sighs. "I've always dated older men; who knew I'd fall for a younger man." I nearly choke on my drink.

"Really?" Rose asks, one eyebrow raised. "How young?"

"He's 29 — can you believe it?"

"Alice, you're only 33," I remind her. "He's not a younger man; four years is nothing."

"He's one milestone birthday behind me," she points out. Rose and I just shake our heads.

After Rose catches us up on her love life and her soap opera role, Alice turns to me with a smirk on her face. "What about you, Bella? When are you going to get back on the horse?"

I grimace. After my five-year-relationship with Jacob ended, when he decided to move back home to Chicago to take over the family business — and said he didn't want me to come with him — I haven't really dated much. I'm terrified of being left behind again; I don't need to pay a lot of money to a therapist to tell me that.

"Seriously, Bella, you need to get out and meet someone," Rose says. Great, now they're ganging up on me.

"I have no idea where to meet men these days," I lament. "You know I've never been one for the bar scene. No one's going to pick _me_ out of a bar filled with young, overly flirty blondes. And besides, if a guy's idea of a good time is getting drunk, he's not my type of guy."

"What about at work?" Alice asks, taking a sip of her drink. "That worked for me. It's not against the rules for you to date a coworker, right?"

"No, it's not," I agree. "As long as we don't work in the same department, the company is all right with it."

"So… anyone at your office catch your eye?"

I try to stop my mind from thinking of _him_, but I can't. I can feel the blush on my face.

"Ah, so there is," Alice grins triumphantly. "What's his name?"

"His name is Edward," I sigh, thinking of the most gorgeous specimen of man meat I've ever seen outside of a movie screen.

"And have you done anything about this interest in Edward?" Rose pipes up.

"Of course not!" I value my career, thank you very much.

"Why not?" Alice asks. "He's not married, is he?"

"No, he's definitely not married." As if. "I have no idea if he has a girlfriend though."

"Does he work in your department? I don't remember you mentioning an Edward before," Alice says.

"No, he's been working in Marketing for about six months now."

"So why won't you do something about it? At least flirt with him and see how he reacts," Alice suggests.

"I can't, Allie."

"Why not? What's wrong with him? He can't be hideous if you're interested in him."

"No, Edward is certainly not hideous," I reply with a sigh, picturing his sculpted jaw and cheekbones, blue-green eyes and messy bronze hair. "He's an _intern_ in the Marketing department, still in college. He's 20 years old."

Once Alice and Rose wipe the shocked looks off their faces, they start laughing hysterically. "Bella's a cougar," Rose snorts. "Oh my God!"

"I'm not a cougar!" I protest. "Cougar would be actually doing something about my attraction to Edward." Besides — can you _be_ a cougar if you're under 40?

"I don't know, Bella," Rose continues, "Maybe you should go for it. They have an amazing refractory period when they're that young." She dissolves in giggles almost as soon as the words are out of her mouth.

"Yeah, he might be good for a few rolls in the hay," Alice adds with a giggle of her own. "You need to get laid; he may be just what you need to help remove the stick that's up your ass."

"Forget it! Edward would probably fall over laughing if I tried to flirt with him. Even if he's single — and I doubt it given how good-looking he is — I'm sure he's not interested in a 33-year-old woman."

I take another sip of my drink, sighing heavily. No, I'm sure Edward has never looked twice at me.

* * *

"Emmett," I whine over the phone to my younger brother, "You promised!"

"I know, I'm sorry, Bells! But if I don't get this project done, I'm not going to be able to go home with you for Thanksgiving tomorrow. And then Mom might kill me. You don't want that, do you?"

"No, no, of course not. But I can't do this by myself."

"I'll try to find a night next week when I can come over," he suggests.

"Fine," I sigh, drumming my fingers on my desk. "We need to be in Forks by two o'clock tomorrow, remember."

"I'll be at your place no later than ten," he promises. "Now I've gotta get back to work."

"See you tomorrow."

I hang up the phone, lean my elbows on my desk, and rest my head in my hands, sighing. If I know my brother, he'll have an excuse not to come over and help me every night next week, too.

"Um, Bella?" a velvet voice calls. I look up to see Edward Cullen standing in the doorway to my office, looking like he just stepped out of the pages of GQ magazine.

"Hi, Edward," I greet him with a smile. Shit, did my voice sound too breathy?

"Um, I couldn't help overhearing… Is there something you needed help with?" he asks.

"Yeah, but it's nothing for you to worry about — not work related."

"That doesn't mean I can't help," he smiles, moving to take a seat at one of my two guest chairs. "What happened?"

"My brother flaked on me," I explain. "He was supposed to come help me set up my Christmas tree after work tonight. It's a 9-foot tree, and I can't carry the three large pieces up from the basement by myself, or put together the top of the tree. Emmett is 6-foot-6, so he's perfect for the job."

"Hmmm… maybe I could help? I mean, I'm only 6-foot-2, but…" Edward in my house? No fucking way!

"Oh, I couldn't ask you to do that, Edward. It's not exactly part of your job description."

"You're not asking; I'm volunteering," he insists with a smile, green eyes twinkling.

"Don't you have anything more fun to do on the night before Thanksgiving?" I ask skeptically.

"Nah… Mom is gonna be nuts all night getting everything ready for tomorrow. You'd actually be rescuing me. I'd love to help, Bella."

"Your m-mom?" I stutter. "You live at home?"

"Sure," he shrugs. "Might as well since I'm just going to school locally."

"Of—of course. Well, if you're sure, I'll email you my address. I was planning to leave around 4:30 since it'll be a ghost town around here by then."

"Sounds good," he replies with a huge smile that could melt the North Pole. As Edward stands up, I suddenly wonder what he was doing in my office doorway in the first place.

"Did you stop by for a reason, Edward?"

"Oh!" he exclaims, his ears turning a lovely shade of pink. "Yeah, my boss wanted to know if you'd have time this afternoon to look over the materials for the new product launch with me."

"I think I could squeeze you in." Edward's ears turn even pinker and I realize the slight double entendre in my response. "Just bring it by when you're ready," I clarify.

"Ok," he smiles, turning to walk away. God, that ass — the view is almost as good from behind.

* * *

Edward is still finishing something up for his boss, Riley Biers, when I get ready to leave, so we agree that he'll meet me at my condo as soon as he can. To be honest, this is what I'd hoped for, since it gives me at least a few minutes to straighten up before he arrives. I couldn't care less what Emmett thinks of my place — I know what his bachelor pad looks like, after all — but Edward? Yeah, I need to make sure there's nothing embarrassing lying around.

I usually bribe Emmett with food to come help me, but I don't know if I have time to actually make anything for dinner. I guess I could just order a pizza — college kids like pizza, right? Fuck, I've invited a _college kid_ home. No, didn't invite; Edward sort of invited himself.

Just before I reach a complete freak-out, I hear the doorbell ring. I take a deep breath and walk over to the front door, throwing it open.

"Hi, Edward," I greet him. "Come on in, it's cold outside. Um, you can just hang your coat on the back of one of the kitchen chairs if you want." As Edward removes his coat, he looks down at my slipper-clad feet and toes his shoes off, leaving them on the mat by the front door.

"This is really nice," Edward says, glancing around at the condo I've called home for the last three years.

"Um, thanks," I reply shyly. "So, um, the tree is downstairs."

I turn and head down the stairs to the finished lower level, then open the door to the storage area, cringing at the mess of boxes. "Uh, just ignore the mess in here."

"It's a basement," Edward chuckles. "It's supposed to be messy."

I find the large box against the wall and lift off the tree skirt that serves as a cover over the tree. I have never been able to actually get the tree fully back in the box since the first time I took it out. I pick up the small top piece and the metal base, then nod down toward the three larger pieces. "Go for it."

Edward picks up the largest bottom piece with ease, and I show him how to carry it with the branches pointed downward. "Like this and it'll stay narrower, won't scratch the wall." Like Emmett did a couple of years back.

I head back up the stairs, Edward trailing behind me, and set the base down in what I hope is the right spot under the peak of my vaulted ceiling. A "normal" 7-foot tree would just look puny there. I quickly spread out the tree skirt around the base, then motion for Edward to set the large piece in place.

"Hurry up or I'll drop this on you," he chuckles while I quickly tighten the three metal pins that hold the tree trunk steady in the base. Once I've moved back, he releases the branches and they fan out. I adjust the location by pulling the base out a few inches, then stand up.

"All right, let's keep going."

Back downstairs, Edward grabs the next tree section while I take the top box of ornaments. After a couple more trips, the tree is together — minus its top piece.

"Hang on a minute," I call to Edward as he starts to put the last piece in place. "We probably need to put the tree topper on there first, or we'll never reach to put it on." I open one of the ornament boxes and find the lighted ribbon tree topper, attach it to the top piece and stand back as Edward finishes off the tree.

While Edward works on connecting all of the plugs from the pre-lit pieces, I run the extension cord to one of my outlets and connect the cords. I press on the foot pedal and tada! The tree lights up with nearly one thousand multi-colored lights.

"Nice," Edward smiles, standing back to admire my Christmas tree. "That's almost as big as the tree we have at home."

"Your tree is even _larger_ than nine feet?" I ask in shock.

"Yeah," he shrugs. "We have a two-story living room, so Mom insisted on a 12-foot tree. We need a stepladder to decorate it every year."

"Well, I just need my trusty stepstool," I laugh. I grab the stool out of the closet and set it up alongside the tree, then dig the tinsel out of one of the boxes. "Ok, I'll start this, then pass it along to you, deal?"

Once the tinsel is wrapped around the tree three or four times, I'm able to reach without my stepstool, so I climb down and move it out of the way. Edward and I continue to wrap the tinsel around the tree until we reach the bottom.

"So do you need my help with the ornaments, too?" he asks.

"Only if you can decorate to my specifications," I chuckle.

"Yeah? And what are those?" he replies with a teasing grin.

"Put the larger ornaments on first while we still have larger open spots."

"I can do that," he nods.

"And if there are several similar colored balls, don't put them all next to each other."

Edward laughs and I smile at the way the corners of his eyes crinkle. "Sounds easy enough," he shrugs.

We dig into the box with the largest ornaments and begin decorating the tree. I try not to micromanage whatever my young helper is doing, but it's not easy. I usually do this part all by myself, though it takes me two or three days.

Several times, as I reach back into the box, I turn around to see Edward watching me. I feel a little bit uneasy under his gaze, but I try to ignore it. He can't possibly be watching me for the same reasons I watch him.

After an hour or so, Edward starts to complain that he's getting hungry. "Should I just order a pizza?" I ask. At his nod, I find the number and call in our order.

"I don't think we're going to get any more ornaments on the tree, Bella," Edward says after I've hung up the phone.

"Sure we will," I shrug. "They were all on there last year. We have another huge box to go." Edward looks at me skeptically as I open the last box. I take out the small 14kt gold "12 Days of Christmas" ornament set that I got as a child, putting those aside to go on last, along with the icicles and candy canes.

I show Edward how to hang some of the ornaments further back on the branches, filling in some open spaces. There's plenty of room left.

As I work, I've been accumulating a number of smaller ornaments to put on top of the tree, where there's not enough room for the larger ones. As we near the end of the box, I pull the stepstool over to the tree again, then hang a half dozen ornaments off of two outstretched fingers on my left hand.

"Careful," Edward says when he realizes I'm getting back on the stool.

"I can manage," I assure him. I hang the ornaments that I've brought with me, then motion for Edward to bring me a few more. As I stretch to reach to just below the ribbon topper, I realize my sweater has ridden up, and I notice his eyes glued to the small patch of skin that's revealed. I quickly tug my sweater back down, embarrassed.

Once I've done all I can from this spot, I begin climbing back down the steps. I have to admit — I really don't like to be on the stepstool in just my slippers. I usually go put shoes on first, but I was too lazy this time. As I step back down, I start losing my balance. I instinctively want to reach out to the tree to hold on, but I'll probably end up pulling the entire thing down on top of myself.

"Whoa!" Edward yells, quickly stepping over toward me. He wraps his arms around me just as I start to fall, steadying me, and keeps them there as I carefully take the last step back to the floor.

"Are you ok, Bella?" he asks, still not letting go of me. I'm totally fine, but I'm afraid that if I say yes, Edward's arms will be gone. But if I let him hold me any longer, things will start to get awkward.

"I'm fine," I reply quietly. He releases me and I slowly turn around, realizing he is still standing very close to me. I look up into his beautiful eyes and I'm startled by the way he's staring at me. Is that — is that _lust_ I see?

"Bella—"

_Ding-dong._

At the sound of the doorbell, Edward jumps back. I stand motionless for a second before I realize that it must be the pizza delivery. Taking a deep breath, I move swiftly to grab the money I'd left on the kitchen table and answer the door.

Once I've paid for dinner, I carry the steaming hot pizza into the kitchen, setting the box on the table. I pull two plates from one cabinet then open the cabinet with the glasses.

"What would you like to drink, Edward? I have milk, Pepsi Max and some bottles of water."

"Water is fine."

Nodding, I grab just one glass for me, handing Edward a bottle of water before pouring a drink for myself. As we sit down to eat, I do my best to concentrate on my delicious pizza and not the elephant in the room. What the hell almost happened between us? Or is it all in my head?

"Thanks for this, Bella," Edward says between bites. "You really didn't need to buy me dinner."

"No problem," I shrug. "I always have to bribe my brother Emmett with pizza and cookies, so I'm used to it."

"There are cookies, too?" he asks brightly.

"No," I chuckle. "Not unless I make a batch."

"So, um, earlier—"

"Thanks for catching me," I interrupt. "I should know better than to get up there in just my slippers."

Edward narrows his eyes, but he nods, pulling another slice from the box.

When we've polished off the pizza, we head back to the tree, which is nearly finished. Edward insists on getting on the stool to decorate the top of the tree himself. I really don't mind the view from down below.

"I can handle it from here," I tell him when he steps back down. "The rest are easy."

"Nah, I want to see this through," he insists. Nodding, I point him toward the icicles and candy canes.

Just ten minutes later, the tree is completely finished. "It looks great," Edward says. "I think I like your tree better than ours at home. Mom still has so many old ornaments that I made back in grade school; it's embarrassing."

I laugh.

"So these boxes go back downstairs, yeah?" At my nod, Edward picks up one of the larger boxes and moves to the stairs. After two trips each, my living room is somewhat back to normal.

"Ugh," I complain, "I need to vacuum later to get all the needles that fell off on the carpet."

"It sheds like a real tree," Edward notes, pulling his phone out of his pocket.

"What are you doing?"

"Taking a picture for Mom. She totally didn't believe me when I told her what I was doing tonight. She just thought I was lying to get out of helping her."

"Oh, Edward, if you needed to help your mom…"

"Nah, it's fine," he shakes his head. "I'd rather help you."

After Edward snaps the photo, I stand nervously wringing my hands. "Thanks again for helping me tonight."

"Sure," he grins. "But we're not done yet."

"We're not?" I mean, I know I still need to hang the wreath on the front door and put the lighted garland on my porch railing, but I don't need Edward's help for that.

"How about a tour?" he asks with a grin.

"A tour?" I ask in confusion. "Of my condo, you mean? You've pretty much seen all of it."

"Not that room," he says, pointing toward the closed door to my bedroom.

"That's… um, that's just my bedroom," I reply uneasily.

"So can't I see it?" Edward asks. I could swear that's a smirk on his face.

"Um, I guess." I move to the door and open it, stepping inside. Thank God I made my bed today. "Well, this is my room."

As I stand in the middle of the room, I can feel Edward stepping up behind me. Too close behind me. I shiver when he reaches out, moving my hair off of one shoulder. He takes a step closer until I can feel his hard chest against my back, then I feel his arms snaking around my waist.

"It's a nice room," he whispers before placing a soft kiss on the side of my neck.

"What—what are you doing?"

"What does it feel like I'm doing?" I can almost feel his smile against my burning skin.

Grabbing hold of his hands, I pull them away from my body and twist around to face him. "Edward…"

"Stop fighting this, Bella."

His lips are on mine before I can take another breath. I'm too startled to do anything but stand there as Edward's very soft lips move against mine. When his tongue peeks out to touch my lips, they tentatively open and suddenly I'm kissing him back with everything in me.

Edward draws me closer with one arm around my waist, while the other combs through my hair. Oh wow, he's an incredible kisser. A tiny little voice inside my head starts to speak up that this is wrong but I tell it to shut the fuck up.

When he moves from my lips to start nibbling at my jaw and neck, that little voice gets a little bit louder. "Edward, stop!"

"Don't want to…" he mumbles, his lips attached to my skin.

"This is so wrong," I protest.

Still holding me close, Edward lifts his head until he's staring into my eyes. "Why is it wrong?"

"Because you're… you're 20 years old! You can't even buy alcohol!"

"Exactly — I'm 20, I'm a legal adult. And I'm no virgin," he growls before claiming my lips once again.

_Ah, hell._ The longer he kisses me, the quieter that voice gets, until eventually I forget why exactly we shouldn't be doing this.

I shudder when I feel Edward's fingertips sneak underneath my sweater, gliding along the skin on my stomach. Very slowly, he begins lifting up my sweater. My arms rise without my mind's consent and he pulls the sweater over my head, tossing it in the direction of the dresser.

His lips come back to mine as I feel his fingers unbuttoning my slacks and tugging the zipper down. He pushes my pants off my hips until they fall to the ground and I step out of them.

I reach my hands out to touch him, feeling the soft pullover covering Edward's torso. "Why am I nearly naked while you're still fully dressed?"

With a huge grin, he reaches behind his back with one hand and pulls his sweater up and over his head. "Go wait for me on the bed." _What a fucking awesome idea._

I move quickly to toss the extra pillows to the floor, turning down the comforter, blanket and top sheet, then stretch myself out in the center of my bed, watching as Edward's t-shirt and then khakis fall to the floor. It's hard to miss the huge tent in his boxers as he kneels on the bed, then crawls over my prone body.

"You have no idea how long I've waited for this," he whispers before kissing me fiercely. I bring my hands up, stroking all over the smooth skin of Edward's back. His tongue spends several minutes playing with mine before he begins kissing a trail down from my mouth. One hand sneaks beneath me and he deftly unhooks my bra before pulling the straps down my arms.

Edward's hot mouth envelops my left breast as his tongue teases my nipple. "Amazing," he mumbles.

"Please," I giggle. "They're barely B-cups." And no longer saluting the sun.

"Just the perfect size," he disagrees, moving to my right breast. Both hands come up to knead and massage my breasts as his lips trail down my stomach. Closing my eyes in ecstasy, I gasp as his tongue circles my navel.

When he stops, I open my eyes, staring down at him. I watch as his hands move slowly to the sides of my panties. "Do you want this, Bella?" he asks quietly. "Because I'm not sure I'll be able to stop if we go much further."

"I want this," I assure him. Alice was right — I do need to get laid. Edward's face lights up with a spellbinding grin as he begins tugging my panties down until I lie naked before him.

I can't help my nervousness as his gaze caresses my bare skin. I know my body is in great shape for my age, but there's no way I could compete with girls his age. I may be a size 2, but my stomach isn't totally flat and my ass and thighs have the beginnings of cellulite.

"You're so beautiful, Bella," Edward whispers in awe, bringing his lips back to mine. I'm lost in his kisses and don't even realize he's removed his boxers, until I feel him hot and hard against my hip. "I want you so bad."

As I feel the thick head of his cock pushing against my entrance, I'm coherent enough to remember that I never renewed my prescription for birth control pills after Jacob and I broke up. "Condom," I manage to say through the haze of lust surrounding us. "Top drawer." I point toward the bedside table.

Edward hurriedly pulls the nearly full box out of the drawer, ripping through the foil packet. I watch hungrily as he sheaths his long, thick cock.

"Slow," I tell him as he rubs his cock along my slit. "It's been awhile."

I hold my breath as he presses inside, inch by inch, until he's as deep as he can be. "God, you feel good," he groans before slowly pulling out and pushing back in. We quickly find a rhythm as I move my hands to his pert round ass, pushing him in with each thrust.

"Oh fuck!" I cry out when Edward lifts my left leg, his thrusts speeding up. No, he's definitely not an inexperienced virgin.

"So good…" he pants before his mouth latches on to one of my breasts. I bring my legs up to wrap around his waist, freeing my hands to run through his thick, messy hair as I hold his mouth to my chest.

I cry out when he hits just the right spot inside me. "Close, so close…" I chant.

"Fuck… Bella, I'm gonna—"

Just as I explode, Edward stills, cursing loudly as he pulses inside me. I'm still quaking with the aftershocks of my orgasm as he pulls out, rolling over onto his back.

"Holy shit," I say in awe. Twenty years old or not, that may just be the best sex I've ever had. I close my eyes, waiting for my heartbeat and breathing to slow to normal.

"Um, Bella?" I open my eyes to see Edward leaning on one elbow, looking down at me. "Where can I—" He points down to his cock and I realize he needs to get rid of the condom.

"The bathroom is through that door." I point to it and he quickly clambers off the bed. I watch unashamedly as Edward returns to bed, his now-soft cock still impressive as it bounces between his legs.

He kneels on the bed, leaning down to kiss me. "Didn't you promise me cookies?"

"I don't think I _promised_," I chuckle.

"Please?" he begs — that pouty look must get him anything he wants.

"All right," I acquiesce. "Hand me my robe from the back of the closet door."

"I've already seen you naked."

"I don't want to get cold," I explain, feeling a chill already thanks to the light sheen of sweat on my skin.

Edward gets up to hand me my robe, then I stare at his bare ass as he picks up his boxers from the floor. Tying the robe around myself, I stand up and head toward the kitchen, Edward hot on my heels.

"So what's your favorite kind of cookie?" I ask.

"Peanut butter," he answers promptly. I open the pantry looking for a jar of peanut butter, pleased when I find one. After he made me feel like that, I want to give him whatever he wants.

I find my booklet of recipes, flipping through the pages until I find my favorite recipe for peanut butter cookies. As I mix them up, Edward leans against my granite countertop, watching me.

"Can you preheat the oven to 375 for me, please?"

Edward moves toward the oven then frowns. "Uh, I would if I had any clue _how_."

Shaking my head at the clueless boy, I quickly put the carton of eggs back in the fridge and punch the buttons myself. Once the flour is incorporated, I pull three baking sheets out of the lower cabinet and find my favorite Pampered Chef scoop.

The oven beeps that it's at the proper temperature just before I finish prepping the first pan. Popping it in the oven, I set the timer for ten minutes. I get the next two pans ready, even though I know they're too large to both fit side by side on one shelf, then begin cleaning up as I have a few minutes to kill before the first pan is done.

When the timer goes off, I set the first pan on top of the stove, put in the second and set the timer again.

"So we've got ten minutes," Edward says suddenly, startling me.

"Um, yes?"

"No time to waste then," he replies in a husky voice. He pulls me toward him, kissing me like a starving man. "Fuck, Bella," he mumbles, "I need you again." I yelp as Edward lifts me up to sit on the kitchen island. One of his large hands pushes open the top of my robe until he's holding my breast, brushing his thumb over the nipple, while the other hand moves between my legs.

In a flash, the hand on my breast is gone as Edward tugs his boxers down. He takes hold of his hard cock, making me gasp as he rubs it just where I'm aching for him. "Condom," I remind him.

"I know, I know," he chuckles, grabbing a foil packet from… my robe pocket! The naughty, sneaky boy. Tearing it open with his teeth, he quickly rolls the condom down his hard length and lines himself up.

Edward glances over at the timer on the stove, smirking. "Guess I'd better work fast." He's buried inside me in one thrust. Holding on to the edge of the counter, I bring my legs up to wrap around his waist.

"Oh God," I can't help moaning as he fucks me. He's young and full of energy and stamina. Alice was so right when she said he'd be good for a few rolls in the hay.

Or on the kitchen counter, as the case may be.

Just as I scream out my orgasm, the oven timer beeps. Breathing heavily, Edward thrusts hard a few more times before he freezes. When he pulls out, I shakily hop down, quickly grabbing a potholder to get the cookies out of the oven. I put the last pan in then set the timer again, turning around to shake my head at my young lover as I straighten my robe.

"That pan may be a bit crispy," I admonish him while totally ogling his naked body. He appears to have thrown out the condom while I was dealing with the cookies.

He chuckles. "Sorry — Not."

I stand leaning against the counter as Edward steps up to me, taking me in his arms and kissing me softly. "You're incredible," he whispers. "Can I have a cookie now since I was such a good boy?"

"Sure," I chuckle. "The first pan is probably cool enough."

I watch as Edward stands completely naked in the middle of my kitchen, eating three warm cookies in quick succession. "Fuck, these are awesome!"

"Put your pants back on!" His naked body is _so_ distracting.

Smirking, he picks up his boxers and steps into them. We've got a few minutes until the last pan is done, so I start rinsing off the dishes and putting them in the dishwasher while Edward continues to eat off the pan.

"I don't know how you can eat like that and look like… that," I tell him, motioning at his fuckhot body.

"Sex is a great workout," he replies with a grin. Oh, to have a young man's metabolism.

When the timer beeps again, I pull out the last pan, then begin moving the cookies that Edward hasn't eaten to my wire cooling racks. "You're gonna make yourself sick, you know."

"Fine," he pouts, "Can I take some home with me?"

"Sure, take all you want. My brother will eat whatever's left."

Once all of the cookies are set out to cool, I step back, wondering where we go from here.

"Can I take a shower?" Edward asks unexpectedly. "My mom will ask all kinds of questions if I show up smelling of sex."

"Sure," I agree, wrinkling my nose. It's been a long time since I've sent a lover home to _Mom_. I lead Edward back to the master bathroom, showing him where the towels are.

"You're gonna join me, aren't you?" he asks. Now that he mentions it, I really could use a shower.

I nod and begin stripping out of my robe as he watches hungrily. "Are you gonna let me fuck you in the shower?"

I shake my head. "I'm afraid I need a break."

"Can I have dessert then?"

"You just ate a dozen cookies." Edward shrugs, grinning at me.

When the water is hot, I step into the shower, letting it cascade all around me. Edward follows me inside, pulling me into his arms and kissing me. After caressing my mouth thoroughly, he begins working his way downward, giving equal attention to each of my breasts before kneeling on the hard, tiled floor.

"Give me your leg," he directs, and I lift my right leg, letting him settle my foot on top of the small seat on one side of the shower stall.

"Oh my God." Even though I could pretty much guess what he's planning, I'm startled when his tongue licks from my entrance up to my clit. I throw my head back as I quickly realize that Edward is just as talented with his tongue as he is with his cock. In no time, my breaths turn to pants as I alternate between pulling his hair and massaging his scalp.

"Fuck, fuck!" I yell as I come hard. I'd probably fall over if I wasn't holding on to Edward. With one final lick, he pulls away from me, grinning hugely. I slowly lower my leg to the floor as he stands, bringing me under the pounding spray with him.

We quickly wash up, then step out of the shower to towel off.

"When can I see you again?" Edward asks quietly as he gets dressed.

"Um, I'm going home for Thanksgiving tomorrow. To Forks — it's a little town about four hours away from here on the Olympic Peninsula. I'm not sure exactly what time I'll be back on Sunday, probably late if Mom gets her way."

"So I'll see you on Monday at the office?" _Fuck._

"Um, yeah." _Why_ did he have to remind me about the office? Every single reason as to why this is a very bad idea starts bouncing around in my brain like a ping-pong ball. Almost on autopilot, I fix Edward a plastic bag full of cookies to take home. I'm sure he can see the change in me as I show him to the door, letting him give me a sweet kiss goodbye.

The moment the door is closed, I turn around, leaning the back of my head against the door. What on earth have I done?

* * *

By Monday morning, I've convinced myself that despite the amazing sex, whatever the hell this is with Edward has to stop. I go the long way around to my office at work, to avoid passing by his desk.

I'm hard at work when I hear the sound of my office door closing behind me. I turn around from my computer to see Edward leaning against the door, grinning.

"I missed you," he says quietly.

"Hey." _Brilliant response, Bella._

"What kind of greeting is that?"

With a small smile, I stand up, walk to the door and place a small chaste kiss on Edward's lips. He frowns, then steps aside, moving to take a seat in my desk chair.

"Come here, Bella," he drawls, crooking his finger.

"You are trouble, Mr. Cullen," I tell him.

"I can be good, too," he grins.

"Edward…"

"Come here," he repeats. He's totally giving me the puppy-dog eyes, dammit.

Sighing, I step closer, letting him pull me down until I'm straddling his lap. He runs his hands up my bare legs, under my skirt, his eyes following the path of his hands. "Is this skirt for me today?"

"It's because I have a presentation this afternoon."

"Hmmm…" he hums, his hands coming up to tenderly hold my face. "Well, I like it."

Despite my earlier decision, I let him kiss me, let him run his hands down my back, over my ass. One hand moves between my legs, as his finger rubs back and forth along my rapidly dampening panties.

"These feel sexy," he purrs. "Are you going to try to tell me _these_ aren't for me? Stand up." I raise one eyebrow. "Let me rephrase — stand up or I'll have to rip them off."

Deciding he's not bluffing, I quickly obey, standing up so that Edward can remove my lacy Victoria's Secret panties. "Nice," he grins, stuffing them into the right front pocket of his pants. In no time he has his pants and boxers pushed down his thighs, revealing his erection. "Reach in my other pocket."

Narrowing my eyes, I follow his directions, pulling out a foil wrapper. "You came prepared, huh?"

"Yep," he grins. "Put it on me," he adds, nodding toward his hard cock.

"Bossy, aren't you? We have to be quiet," I remind him as I sheath him in the condom.

"You're the one who screams."

"Behave yourself or I'm not doing this," I reply, climbing back onto his lap. "I hope you locked the door."

"Of course I did." Edward hisses as I gradually lower myself onto him. I slowly lift myself up and down, running my fingers through his hair as his hands get reacquainted with my body. "God, you feel good," he moans.

Edward reaches out to pull my mouth to his, kissing me sensually as I continue to move over him. When he gets impatient with my pace, he begins lifting me up and down, slamming my hips down as he thrusts up into me.

"Oh fuck," I choke out, burying my face in his neck.

"Quiet," he pants, yanking my mouth back to his to swallow my moans as I come. Edward reaches his peak moments later, collapsing back in my chair as he holds me close. "We could've been doing this all summer if I'd manned up. _Fuck._"

Slowly, I untangle myself from Edward's arms to stand up. He giggles as he looks up at me. "What?"

"You look freshly fucked."

"Shut up," I tell him, smacking his leg as I retrieve my panties from his pocket. "I told you I have a presentation this afternoon."

"What should I do with this?" Edward asks as he removes the condom, tying the end. I quickly grab a handful of tissues for him. He wraps the used condom and wrapper in the tissues, tosses them in the trash and stands up to fix his pants.

"Come here," he says quietly. I take a step closer, letting Edward try to fix my hair. "Can I come over tonight?" I nod slowly and he leaves a tender kiss on my lips on his way out the door.

* * *

Wanting to stay off of email in case it's monitored, I send Edward an IM via our intraoffice messenger asking him to meet me at my condo at 7pm.

As the time nears, I pace back and forth across the living room. Despite what happened in my office this morning, I can't continue to do this with Edward. I can't risk my job, my reputation… my heart.

Though I'm expecting him, I jump when the doorbell rings, hurriedly moving to answer it.

Edward is barely inside the door before his arms are around me and his lips are on mine. "God, I've missed you," he mumbles as he kisses his way along my jaw. "Don't go away for four days again."

"Edward… Edward, we need to talk."

He pulls back, frowning as he stares at me. "Well that sounds ominous."

"Come sit with me," I tell him, leading him to my couch. He sits and looks down at his feet as I take a seat on the adjacent loveseat.

"I'm sorry, Edward," I begin, regaining his attention, "But we can't do… this." I lamely motion between us.

He stares at me, mouth open and closing a few times before he speaks. "Are you still concerned about my age?"

"Well, yes," I reply nervously. "I'm 33 — I can't be involved with someone who's still in college!"

"Just for a few more months," he argues. "I skipped eighth grade, so I'm already a senior."

"You shouldn't want to be with me. What about all the girls your own age? I may not be old enough to be your mother, but there's a significant age difference here."

"So what? You're still a beautiful woman, Bella. And you've got a bangin' body. Why _can't_ I be attracted to you?"

"Well, thank you, but… what would people _think_? I'm a Vice President, and I've worked hard for my position. What would everyone think if I suddenly started seeing an _intern_?"

"Your sex life isn't anyone else's concern!"

"That doesn't mean that I won't be judged for it," I reply gently.

"No one will care!" he yells in frustration. "Riley is openly gay and it hasn't held him back at all."

"That's because he's in a creative position," I point out. "He could have visible tattoos, or weird piercings on his face, or be gay and it's… expected of the artistic types." I shrug.

Edward laughs humorlessly. "Now you're being ridiculous."

"I'm _not_, Edward," I insist. "I've been around long enough to know that once people lose respect for you, you're toast. I can't let that happen. I'm sorry, but this has to be the end of… whatever this is."

He sighs, running his fingers through his hair roughly. "Isn't there anything I can say to convince you?"

"I'm afraid not," I reply sadly. I watch as he bites his lip, looking like he's trying not to cry. Well, that makes me feel like shit.

Sighing, I move to sit next to Edward, hugging him tightly. "I'm sorry," I whisper. "I never should've let anything happen to begin with."

"Don't say that! I would rather have called you mine for a few days than never."

I brush away one tear as it slides down his cheek, then brush my lips lightly across his. "Goodbye, Edward."

"Goodbye, Bella," he chokes out before he walks out my front door for the very last time.

* * *

Edward Cullen does not play fair. I swear he wears his nicest, best-fitting clothes every day for the rest of the week, just so I know what I'm missing out on.

By the following Monday, my body is craving his. But I can't give in to the temptation.

One of the other product heads is presenting a new idea to the group, and a number of us crowd into the largest conference room on our floor. I make a stop at the ladies room first and by the time I arrive, the only seat at the table is next to Edward. I could sit in one of the extra chairs around the perimeter of the room, but I prefer to sit at the table to take notes.

Edward sees me standing in the doorway and motions me over to him. I'm afraid it'll look more suspicious if I give him the brush-off, so I take the offered seat next to him.

The presenter dims the lights so we can all see the PowerPoint presentation on the screen. I'm busily taking down notes when I feel a large, warm hand on my thigh underneath the table. I glare over at Edward who just looks at me innocently, but he doesn't remove his hand.

The heat of his skin burns through the thin material of my dress slacks. Very slowly, he begins drawing small circles on my inner thigh, and my body can't help but react to him.

By the end of the meeting, I'm about ready to rip his clothes off and jump him. When I notice him loitering by the door, I mess around with my notebook, stalling for time as the rest of the attendees file out of the room.

Then it's just the two of us.

Edward smirks as I walk toward him with one eyebrow raised. "That wasn't nice," I scold him.

"I miss you," he whispers. "I want to be with you."

I stare into his eyes, not having any clue what to do now. I miss him, too, I do, but we _can't_.

"Please let me see you. Please," he begs before shocking me with a toe-curling kiss.

_Fuck._ Would it really be so bad if we saw each other in secret? No one at the office has to know.

But that's not my only concern. I don't want to get hurt again when Edward tires of me — and that day _will_ come, I'm sure of it. Maybe if we keep _feelings_ out of this it won't break me?

And so I give in. "Why don't you come over for dinner tonight? Around six?"

"I'll be there," he smiles hugely, pulling me close to kiss me again. I smile when I feel him hard against me; at least I'm not the only one who is affected.

I reach down to palm his erection through his pants, grinning when he hisses. "Better get that under control."

"We could go to your office and you could take care of it for me," he suggests brazenly.

"Tonight," I promise.

* * *

At six o'clock sharp, the doorbell rings. "Hey," Edward greets me when I open the front door.

"Dinner is almost ready."

"I didn't really come for dinner."

I narrow my eyes. "Dinner first."

"Fine," he nods. "I guess I could use the energy for later."

After a fucking awkward meal of baked chicken breasts, we move into the living room to talk. This time I sit beside Edward on the sofa.

"So… you've reconsidered?" he begins. "I wore you down?"

"Yes and no," I shrug. "I'm still saying no to any kind of relationship with you, Edward. We can't _date_."

"Is this about your job again?" he interrupts. "I told you, no one will care."

"That's part of it," I agree. "But it's more than that. If we date, if feelings get involved…"

"I was in a serious relationship with someone," I blurt out. "And three years ago he left me. He moved back to his hometown to take over the family business when his father retired. Five years together and he just cast me aside like I meant nothing to him. I can't live through that again.

"I know you think you want me now, but one day that will change. One day you're going to want someone closer to your own age. But if we keep this just about… sex… " I shake my head. "It'll kill me to be cast aside again if my heart gets involved. So I can't let it."

Edward stares at me, blinking repeatedly. "You'll have sex with me as long as that's all there is? Is that what you're saying?"

"Right," I nod. "Call it friends with benefits if you want, but as long as it stays no-strings-attached sex, no one can get hurt. And no one at work can find out; you will behave at the office from now on."

"I don't know, Bella… I don't just want sex with you." He shakes his head.

"That's the deal; take it or leave it." He stares into my eyes again, trying to figure out if I'm bluffing, I imagine. And then he nods.

"If I take the deal, can I bend you over the back of the couch?" he asks with a smirk.

"You can have me anywhere in the house."

In seconds I'm lying beneath Edward, flat on my back on the couch. "I'll take it," he whispers.

* * *

For the next week and a half, Edward comes over for dinner every couple of nights, staying to make me scream a few times before going home to study. But now that his finals are over, he's all mine until the second week of January.

When we're not naked — and even sometimes when we are — we've been talking, getting to know each other. Edward is an intelligent young man and we actually have more in common than I had expected, given our age difference. He's fun-loving, adventurous, sexy… and confident bordering on cocky. When I'm lying alone in bed after Edward has gone home, I find myself missing more than just the warmth of his body. I'm on a slippery slope, but I don't know how to keep myself from falling.

I burst out laughing as I open the door on Thursday night to find Edward wearing a red Santa hat, carrying a large sack.

"What's in the sack, Santa?"

"You'll see," he replies, giving me a quick kiss as he steps inside.

"I don't quite have the lasagna in the oven, but we've got about 45 minutes once it goes in."

"Perfect," he grins, walking into the living room. I quickly finish up the top layer of cheese on the lasagna, pop it in the oven, then go find out what Edward is up to.

When I find him, he's sprawled out on a bearskin rug in front of my fireplace, wearing Christmas-themed boxers, a red Santa jacket left unbuttoned to show off his toned chest, and the hat — and nothing else.

"Where did you get all this?" I chuckle.

"I 'borrowed' the rug from my dad's man cave. I bought the costume though," he shrugs.

"Well, you're the sexiest Santa I've ever seen."

Edward pats the spot next to him on the rug, giving me a 'come hither' look. I hurriedly sit down beside him and brush my hand over his bare chest, where he's got the perfect amount of hair. He maneuvers me so I'm lying on my back, then holds up a sprig of mistletoe.

"Does Santa want a kiss?" I chuckle.

"Santa wants a lot more than a kiss," he growls, leaning over to kiss me. As Edward's tongue does remarkable things to me, he slowly removes my clothes until I'm lying completely naked on the soft, furry rug.

"Should we really be doing this on your dad's rug?" I ask as he tugs his boxers down.

"You worry too much, baby." I lick my lips as Edward sheaths himself in a condom, then lifts my left leg and slides inside me from behind. His lips return to mine while his left hand massages my breasts. When his fingers slide down my torso to rub between my legs, I can't help crying out.

"God, I love… having you laid out for me like this," he growls. I can only moan in response, barely coherent. When my orgasm crashes over me, Edward quickly follows, holding me tightly to him as he rides out his pleasure.

"Fuck, Bella… you are amazing."

I chuckle. He's the one doing most of the work. Edward gets up to dispose of the condom, then grabs the crocheted afghan a friend made for me from the back of the couch. He stretches his long, lean body out beside me on the rug and covers us up, kissing me softly. I close my eyes, just soaking up the feeling of being held in Edward's arms.

"I'm a naughty boy, Bella," he whispers after several minutes.

"Yeah? Should I just put a lump of coal in your stocking?"

"I'm serious. I broke your rule."

"What rule?" I ask, confused.

"You wanted this to just be no-strings-attached sex, but… I can't, Bella. I can't do that. I'm falling in love with you."

My heart skips a beat. "Edward…" I sit up, holding the afghan over my chest. "Don't say things you don't mean."

"I do mean it," he insists, sitting up and taking my face in his hands. "I'm falling in love with you, Bella. I don't want this to be just sex; I never did. I only agreed to it hoping to change your mind."

I wrap the afghan around myself and stand up so I can put some distance between us. "I'm 33 years old, Edward. I'm ready to settle down. I'm listening to my biological clock ticking every day.

"But you… you are so young, you can't possibly know what you want out of life already. You should be living it up, not getting tied down with me. You shouldn't be thinking about the kinds of things I think about for years yet."

"Don't tell me what I want!" Edward yells as he stands up.

"God, could you put your pants on? I can't have a serious conversation with you when Eddie Jr. is trying to say hello."

Sighing, Edward steps into his boxers then walks over to me. "I know what I want, Bella," he says slowly, taking my face in his hands again. "You're it for me. You always have been, ever since my first day at the office when my boss brought me around to introduce me to everyone. I thought you were the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen."

I shake my head, tears coming to my eyes.

"I won't hurt you, Bella. I won't wake up one day and decide I don't want you anymore."

"Edward…"

"Just tell me this — do I make you happy?"

"Yes, you make me very happy," I admit.

He smiles, wrapping his arms around me. "Then let me be your boyfriend. Let me love you."

He sounds so earnest. I want to believe him — because I'm falling for him, too. And so I surrender. "Don't break my heart, Edward."

"Never, Bella, never."

We stand holding each other until the oven timer beeps, then reluctantly pull apart.

"Um, I'll grab dinner while you get dressed," Edward says.

I put my clothes back on then head to the kitchen, where a still shirtless Edward is already getting our plates of lasagna on the table. "Sit," he directs, "I'll get the drinks."

I just pick at my dinner, not having much of an appetite. Surrendering, putting my heart on the line like that, is the scariest thing I've ever done. I'm trusting this young man to be true to his word.

"So does this mean you'll go as my date to the company holiday party tomorrow night?" Edward asks.

"What?"

"Now that we're together."

I drop my fork and lean my forehead on my hand. "Edward… I've agreed that we can… see each other romantically, but… that still doesn't mean that I want anyone at the office to know."

"Are you ashamed of me?" he asks quietly.

"No, no of course I'm not…"

"You are."

"I'm _not_ ashamed of you, but I don't want to lose my job over this."

"You won't, Bella!"

"You don't know that. Look, I'm not just being paranoid here. I told my friends last month that I was interested in you—"

"You told your friends about me?" he interrupts with a smirk.

"Oh lord, like your ego needs to be any bigger… They laughed, Edward. They laughed hysterically and then called me a cougar."

"You're not a cougar, Bella!" he says emphatically. "Cougar implies that you're some kind of predator who came after me. If anything, it's the other way around."

"But don't you see?" I reply quietly. "There's such a double standard. If a guy in his 30s dates a girl your age, he gets high-fives and a pat on the back. But if a woman does it, she's a cougar. So for now, I'd just like to keep this between us. _Please,_" I beg.

"I don't like it," he replies, shaking his head. "But ok… for you."

* * *

**You look gorgeous today, Bella.**

I chuckle at the IM from Edward. I wore a sparkly new sweater for our company holiday party, being held in one of the ballrooms at a nearby hotel tonight.

_**You should've worn the hat**_, I message back.

"Are you ready to go?" Bree Tanner, one of the other product VPs asks, popping her head into my office around 5pm.

"Absolutely." I quickly shut down the spreadsheets I'm working on, turn off my PC for the night, then grab my coat.

By the time we arrive at the hotel, the party is already in full swing. The room has been decorated to look like some kind of winter wonderland, with tables full of food spread out all around it. From the loud laughter, the alcohol is flowing freely. Bree and I each pick up a small plate and begin filling them with the various appetizers, then we stop by the bar for drinks.

"Oh my God, he is so hot," Bree says suddenly as we stuff our faces with free food. I look up, following her line of sight to the doorway where Edward has just walked in — wearing the Santa hat. It contrasts well with his forest green pullover.

"You—you think so?" I ask nervously.

"Oh yeah. If I was 20 years younger and single, I'd be all over him."

"Hi Bella. Hi Bree," Edward says, walking up to us with a bottle of beer in hand a few minutes later.

"Who got you that beer?" I ask, eyes narrowed.

"Riley," he smirks.

"Careful — if you're naughty, Santa may not give you what you want for Christmas," Bree giggles.

"Santa already gave me what I asked for," he replies, gazing at me intently. Bree seems to be oblivious, but I shoot him a warning look.

"Are you ready for something more substantial?" Bree asks, nodding toward her empty plate.

"Sure, yeah," I agree, ready to get the hell away from Edward. Unfortunately, he follows us to the table where the server is carving slices of ham and roast beef. We pile our plates high with food, then find a seat. Edward invites himself to join us despite all of my glares.

"So, Edward, how are you liking your job?" Bree asks.

"It's very rewarding," he answers. "I hope there's a full-time position available when I graduate in May." I hadn't even thought that far ahead, but I suddenly find myself hoping there's _not_ a position for Edward. It'll be much easier to keep the secret if we don't work together.

Despite what Edward thinks, I'm not exactly ashamed of him. But I can't forget the reactions Alice and Rose had just to finding out I was interested in someone so young. I can't risk my career if my coworkers are as judgmental as my friends.

As nervous as I am, I drain my glass of wine rather quickly. "Can I get anyone another drink?" I ask, standing up.

"I'll take another beer," Edward replies. I narrow my eyes at him. "Please," he adds. "I think I've been a very, very good boy." I get the hell out of there before Bree starts catching on to his innuendos.

Returning with our drinks a couple of minutes later, I find Edward sitting alone. "Where did Bree go?" I ask as I sit down.

"She went to, and I quote, 'raid the dessert table.'"

"Ah."

"I thought she'd never leave us alone," he adds, taking a long drink of his fresh beer.

"She doesn't know there's any reason we should want to be alone."

Edward reaches his hand across the table, squeezing mine gently. "I really think you underestimate everyone, Bella. I could kiss you right now and no one would bat an eye."

"Kiss me right now and you'll _lose_ an eye," I retort, pulling my hand away from his. "Or maybe something you hold a little more dear."

He smirks. "I think you'd regret that one."

"Do you want to get some dessert?" I ask, changing the subject.

"I'd rather have you for dessert."

"Later," I promise, standing up.

There is a line for the dessert table, so Edward and I stop a few feet away at the back of the line. I crane my neck to check out the goodies on the table.

"It's fate," he whispers.

"What?" I ask, turning to Edward, who's staring at something above his head. I look up to see a sprig of mistletoe hanging from an archway.

I see the intent in his eyes before he even moves, but I'm frozen in place. When his lips meet mine, it's no simple peck — no, he goes all out with open mouth and tongue, leaving no mistake in the minds of anyone watching that this isn't the first time we've kissed.

We break apart at the sound of applause. I look around, confused, when I realize they're all watching us, applauding _for_ us.

Finally, Edward's boss, Riley, speaks. "It's about freakin' time! You two have only been mooning over each other for the last seven months." My mouth gapes as I stare at him. Were we that obvious?

I look up at Edward, who's eyeing me nervously. I don't know what to say. He kissed me in front of everyone when he knew I didn't want him to. But so far, the sky hasn't fallen.

"Bella, you sneaky bitch!" Bree says, coming over to slap me on the back. "Tapping that and you didn't tell anyone?"

"I—"

"She was afraid of everyone's reaction," Edward says quietly.

"Oh honey, no one cares about shit like that. Now if you want a _real_ scandal, I just heard that the very married Newton from over in Accounting was caught kissing his secretary in the coatroom."

"Hey!" calls one of my direct reports, Angela Weber, as she walks up to us. "About time you guys went public, though I just lost twenty dollars on the bet."

"What _bet_?" I ask, horrified.

She shrugs. "Ever since Edward here walked out of your office with sex hair earlier this month, the whole gang has been betting on when you'd come out as a couple. I said it would be between Christmas and New Year's."

"Who… who won?" I ask shakily. Oh my God, he fixed _my_ hair that day, but I can't believe we didn't worry about _his_.

"Riley," she answers. "I wonder if he had the inside track."

Edward can't control his grin as he takes my hand in his. "I told you no one would care," he whispers, kissing me softly. "Will you let me live? And keep all of my body parts?"

"You've been very naughty, but…" I pause dramatically, "I _am_ rather fond of your body parts."

"I'm rather fond of you," he whispers. When he kisses me again, I throw caution to the wind and twine my arms around his neck, kissing him back with everything in me. Finally he pulls away, then leaves three soft kisses on my lips. "Let's get some dessert."

Edward hands me a plate and I grab a couple of yummy-looking mini cheesecakes, then let him lead me back to our table with his hand on the small of my back. It feels… _right_ there.

"Not as good as your cookies," he decides, licking his fingers once his plate is empty.

"You don't have to flatter me to get your way, you know." He grins, leaning over to kiss me.

"Since you're going to Forks for Christmas, can I give you your gift tonight?"

"Is it something I actually need to unwrap?"

"Oh, there will definitely be unwrapping involved."

"God, you have a one-track mind sometimes." I slap his chest as I stand up and start walking for the exit.

"I'm at my sexual peak, Bella," he says, running to catch up with me.

"Oh my God, keep your voice down!" I cry, mortified.

Edward laughs, throwing his arms around me from behind. "No one is paying any attention to us anymore. Besides, most people are already so drunk they won't even remember this by Monday."

"Lucky for you," I tell him, trying to wiggle out of his arms.

"Lucky for me, it doesn't matter if Santa puts me on the naughty list, since I already got everything I wanted for Christmas."

And if I'm honest, I may have gotten everything I wanted, too.

* * *

**A/N:** This story was a Christmas present for moosals, who took the story I told her about inviting a 22-year-old and 19-year-old from my office to help put up my Christmas tree and came up with a much more interesting plot bunny idea than anything that actually occurred. ;)

Check out the link to the gorgeous banner (made by moosals) on my profile!


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